Salmon is the most common fish I serve to my family. It is mild in flavour, versatile and super good for you. The most popular salmon you will find in the grocery store Sockeye and Coho. Steelhead trout is a landlocked salmon farm raised in lakes.

Wild salmon are one of the best sources of omega 3 fats, wild salmon containing 36% omega 3 and farmed containing only 17%. The types of omega 3 fats in fish are DHA and EPA. These fats have been shown to help improve visual acuity and brain and nerve development in the fetus. In adults, DHA and EPA help increase HDL (good) cholesterol, reduce triglycerides, lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation. These omega 3 fats have also been linked to a reduced risk for depression, certain cancers, heart disease, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. We need between 1.1 and 1.6g of omega 3 fats per day. A 3 oz serving of salmon contains between 1 and 1.5g.

Buying your salmon

Salmon should not smell fishy it should smell fresh. Whole fish should be buried in ice at the fish counter and the eyes should be clear not cloudy. Fish steaks and fillets can be displayed on top of the ice. Once you get it home, rinse and wrap the fish in paper towel and store it in a plastic bag on the bottom shelf of your fridge on a bag of ice or with an icepack. Cook your fish within a day of purchase. Always marinate fish in the fridge not at room temperature on the counter.

Cooking

Everyone has their own method of cooking fish. I prefer not to pan sear it because it makes the house smell like fish. The BBQ is great for fish fillets placed on tinfoil, so the skin doesn’t stick. I prefer to bake salmon in the oven. I usually cook salmon in the oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes per inch of thickness or on the BBQ until the flesh is opaque and flakes with a fork. Delicious flavour combinations for salmon include:

Asian: crushed garlic, green onion, lemon and soy sauce. Serve with rice and steamed broccoli and carrots

Indian: Ginger, cumin and mint leaves or garam marsala. Serve the cooked fish with plain yogurt, lemon and cumin on the side. Tomato, cucumber and sweet onion with lemon and cumin makes a delicious side salad.

Mexican: cilantro, parsley, garlic, lemon, jalepeno peppers, served with fresh tomato or mango salsa